WHAT WOULD YOU TEAM BE VS INDIA IN THE TESTS?

[AFRO]

Some big decisions are gonna have to be made soon as some big guns will be coming back for this game, in the Pak tests there were some players who didn't cover themselves in glory at all,

Nash (he's had a decent career with WI thus far but he just didn't cut it against Pak)
Simmons (was on fire in the ODIs but again flattered to deceive in the Tests)
Baugh (scored a decent 50 in SL and seemed to be moving forward but flopped vs pak)
Sarwan (unlucky with some of his dismissals but how long can we accept his low scores?)

So for me the team should be

Gayle
Barath
Darren
Edwards
Chanders
Samuels
Ramdin
Sammy (c)
Rampaul
Roach/Taylor
Bishoo

With the inclusion of Gayle we'd have an extra spinner which could be very vital as it would balance our attack and give Bishoo a partner when needed, it hurts to put Ramdin back in but who else is there? If the selectors were bold enough they'd give young Jahmar Hamilton a chance, a young kid who is brilliant with the gloves and very talented with the bat, but i doubt they would take such a risk,

I've added Edwards because his forte is the longer version of the game and if you look at his performances in the ODIs he looked ok, he just didn't rotate the strike as fast as we'd want but that's not a problem in a five day game is it? plus he only got out to spin ONCE against Pak and hit a 40 in his last game,

Then we come to Roach, he's a very talented kid and i don't expect him to be dropped BUT he was looking very tired in the Pak series and perhaps for his sake it would be better to rest him for this series and let Taylor play? because we simply cannot afford to have just Rampaul and Bishoo taking the wickets against India that's for sure.

[cuffman]

Some big decisions are gonna have to be made soon as some big guns will be coming back for this game, in the Pak tests there were some players who didn't cover themselves in glory at all,

Nash (he's had a decent career with WI thus far but he just didn't cut it against Pak)
Simmons (was on fire in the ODIs but again flattered to deceive in the Tests)
Baugh (scored a decent 50 in SL and seemed to be moving forward but flopped vs pak)
Sarwan (unlucky with some of his dismissals but how long can we accept his low scores?)

So for me the team should be

Gayle
Barath
Darren
Edwards
Chanders
Samuels
Ramdin
Sammy (c)
Rampaul
Roach/Taylor
Bishoo

With the inclusion of Gayle we'd have an extra spinner which could be very vital as it would balance our attack and give Bishoo a partner when needed, it hurts to put Ramdin back in but who else is there? If the selectors were bold enough they'd give young Jahmar Hamilton a chance, a young kid who is brilliant with the gloves and very talented with the bat, but i doubt they would take such a risk,

I've added Edwards because his forte is the longer version of the game and if you look at his performances in the ODIs he looked ok, he just didn't rotate the strike as fast as we'd want but that's not a problem in a five day game is it? plus he only got out to spin ONCE against Pak and hit a 40 in his last game,

Then we come to Roach, he's a very talented kid and i don't expect him to be dropped BUT he was looking very tired in the Pak series and perhaps for his sake it would be better to rest him for this series and let Taylor play? because we simply cannot afford to have just Rampaul and Bishoo taking the wickets against India that's for sure.

Good squad, except that I will persist with Baugh and give him a fair run before dropping him. Yes, he didn't perform as expected with the bat, but really...who did?

I like Edwards, but Nash is the VC and thus he will almost certainly (barring injury) get the nod ahead of Edwards. I'm also tempted to give Sarwan a couple more opportunities to prove himself...with Marlon snapping at his heels for a place in the 11, he better get is act together quickly or else...!!!

How is Gayle and Gibson going to share the same dressing room and work together, I really don't know?! But it'll definitely be a big boost to have Gayle back at least for the LO format.

MY team for the tests will be:

Gayle
Bharath
Sarwan
Bravo
Chanderpaul
Nash
Baugh
Sammy
Roach/Edwards/Taylor
Rampaul
Bishoo/Benn

[AFRO]

I just don't believe we can afford to play 90% of the same batting order that let us down time and time again against Pakistan Cuffman!!.. we're playing a better team than Pak so why should we expect anything different from the likes of Sarwan, Nash and Baugh? Samuels showed glimpes of his best form so i can't see Sars taking his place, Benn has no chance and Nash is on borrowed time i think, being a vice captain doesn't make his place certain imo, the way Gibbo has spoken about the batting lately i expect some big changes to be honest that's why i think Edwards could come in, especially after the four day season he was having.

[cuffman]

I just don't believe we can afford to play 90% of the same batting order that let us down time and time again against Pakistan Cuffman!!.. we're playing a better team than Pak so why should we expect anything different from the likes of Sarwan, Nash and Baugh? Samuels showed glimpes of his best form so i can't see Sars taking his place, Benn has no chance and Nash is on borrowed time i think, being a vice captain doesn't make his place certain imo, the way Gibbo has spoken about the batting lately i expect some big changes to be honest that's why i think Edwards could come in, especially after the four day season he was having.

Well, let's wait and see how things pan out. I certainly won't be disappointed if a few of the failures from the last series are dropped, however I have a feeling that not too many drastic changes will be made.

[AFRO]

There's only so long we can give failures Cuffman, Sars has been a massive let down since he came back, and Nash was just terrible against Pak, i don't have any confidence in those two players, Baugh might get away with it but again he flopped badly, some say Ramdin has worked on his batting and ironed out his mistakes, i'd play him in the ODis and see if that's true.

[mikesiva]

This would be my XI for the first Test, assuming that Barath is fit, and that Gayle is recalled:

1) Chris Gayle
2) Adrian Barath
3) Lendl Simmons
4) Darren Bravo
5) Shiv Chanderpaul
6) Marlon Samuels
7) Denesh Ramdin/Devon Thomas (wk)
8) Darren Sammy
9) Ravi Rampaul
10) Dev Bishoo
11) Fidel Edwards

Reserves
Jerome Taylor
Kemar Roach
Kirk Edwards
Suleimann Benn

I give Fidel the edge because he's played more four-day cricket for Barbados this season than Taylor did for Jamaica. Taylor played the first half of the season, and then got injured, before going to the IPL. I'm not sure that he's back to full fitness yet. I feel Roach needs some time off to find his mojo once more. Maybe the second Test....

I would have Nash and Sarwan on stand-by in case someone in the middle order gets injured. But I'm not sure that they command an automatic place in the side any more.

[AFRO]

This would be my XI for the first Test, assuming that Barath is fit, and that Gayle is recalled:

1) Chris Gayle
2) Adrian Barath
3) Lendl Simmons
4) Darren Bravo
5) Shiv Chanderpaul
6) Marlon Samuels
7) Denesh Ramdin/Devon Thomas (wk)
8) Darren Sammy
9) Ravi Rampaul
10) Dev Bishoo
11) Fidel Edwards

Reserves
Jerome Taylor
Kemar Roach
Kirk Edwards
Suleimann Benn

I give Fidel the edge because he's played more four-day cricket for Barbados this season than Taylor did for Jamaica. Taylor played the first half of the season, and then got injured, before going to the IPL. I'm not sure that he's back to full fitness yet. I feel Roach needs some time off to find his mojo once more. Maybe the second Test....

I would have Nash and Sarwan on stand-by in case someone in the middle order gets injured. But I'm not sure that they command an automatic place in the side any more.

Well that's a decent enough team i suppose, although i'm not sure about Simmons, he was electric in the ODIs and done ok in the first innings of the first Test but it all seemed to fall apart after that and he went back to his old bad habbits, that's why i'm willing to give Edwards a chance because he's really done well in the longer version of the game lately, scoring a ton against England Lions etc,

Devon Thomas shouldn't be anywhere near the team imo because he simply cannot bat, if the selectors want to be brave they'd call up Corbin or Hamilton but i doubt they will, so it's probably gonna be Ramdin getting a last chance, Fidel is an interesting one, Taylor has apparently come through the IPL without any problems and imo he's the only bowler we have who can run through a top order when he's in the mood, if him and Rampaul fire at the same time i believe we'll cause India all sorts of problems.

[mapoui]

the problem with westindies keeping is maturity not talent..maturity and lack of intlligence on the aprt of baugh..straight maturity with ramdin..

baugh is the least in the argument becuase of his lack of cricket intelligence. but at this stage it does not matter who, between is selected between baugh and ramdin.

I will not go to the kids, thats only compounding the problem unless one of them is a rare soul of a keeper like taibu, who was born old and good at 18, like others only become at 28

[mapoui]

my assessment of kirk edwards is that he is not good enuff period. I wud not go there again unless he raise his avearge over the next couple to say 45+

I wud stick with sarwan. he is bound to come good again. edwards is not as good as sarwan and does not promise a career anything like sarwan has acomplished. samuels before skash any day. simmons before skash. edwards before skash.

I wud play sars and put him back in his #3 slot!

[mapoui]

I want to get sulieman benn back in the side. benn is still the best, most experienced spinner we have and a good complement to bishoo...or bish to him

allyuh remember bishoo as he clearly demonstrated in the last 3 innings of the 2 tests is a learning project...an attacking bowler on his way but in need of the requisite experience to hone his skiils into the test player he is yet to become.

benn already is!